Beardy wins elusive ‘Shootout’ title

Winnipeg pool player takes $2,000 first prize

December 18, 2009

Winnipeg, Manitoba pool player Felix Beady has many titles to his credit, including winning the 2008 Canadian Eight-ball championship.

He can now add another to his growing resume.

The 38-year-old captured his first Northern Lights Shootout title on Dec. 13 in Rugby.

Beardy has participated in six other times and has reached the semifinals on four other occasions, but he could never quite capture the top prize. However, he would not be denied this time, winning seven matches en route to taking home $2,000.

The talented field and close proximity to Winnipeg is what has brought him back over the years.

Beardy has been playing the game since he was a young boy growing up on the Garden Hill Reserve in northeastern Manitoba.

"I lived right next to a pool hall and there wasn't much to do growing up, so I spent a lot of time at the hall, Beardy said. "I learned to splay on a four by eight snooker table."

He moved to Winnipeg and there concentrated on mastering his game. "There is a lot of good players there and you learn by watching,' he said. "You're always a student."

He continues to play in pool leagues in Winnipeg and was part of a team that won a prestigious tournament in Las Vegas a few years ago that had 600 teams. His Canadian Eight-Ball title in Toronto included several professional players.

Felix said what separates good players from great ones is the mental side of pool.

"You need a short memory,' he said. "You can't let a bad shot linger in your mind, or get too excited about making a great shot. You have to remain (calm)."

That approach has served him well, and Beardy is now part of that prestigious list of champions at the Northern Lights Shootout.